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Child Care

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

  1. Are child care centres inspected by the health unit? 
    • Yes, child care centres are inspected by the health unit. Licensed child care centres are licensed by the Ministry of Education.
    • The Health unit inspects child care centres to review infection prevention and control (IPAC) and food safety and supports the centres with the management of outbreaks.
  2. I am opening a new child care centre; how can I get health unit approval?
  3. If I have questions about immunizations and reporting immunizations, who should I call?
    • Call the immunization team at 705-721-7520 ext. 8807
    • More information is available on the Child Care Immunization page. 
  4. If a child or a staff member gets bit by an animal while at the centre, who should I call?
    • To report an animal bite, call 705-721-7520 ext. 8811
    • More information is available on the Rabies and Petting Zoo pages. 
  5. What information does the health unit require in child care centre policies? 
    • Child care centres are required to have  policies for infection prevention and control and food safety. For more information, review the Policy Development Tool
    • Child care centre policies should align with health unit recommendations, be site-specific, and up to date. Centres may implement policies that go beyond the health unit's minimum recommendations.
  6. What is DPHS?
    • DPHS stands for "Disease of Public Health Significance". It is a list of infectious diseases designated by the Ontario Government to be of importance in Ontario.  Individuals that are diagnosed with a disease that is on the list are investigated for the purpose of disease surveillance, management and prevention of further spread. The list can be found here. 
  7. As the supervisor of a child care centre, if a child is diagnosed with an infectious disease, what do I need to do? 
    • There are several disease that are considered common during childhood. Some are a DPHS and are therefore reportable, some are not. Supervisors can review the Common Childhood Illness Brochure for information about the disease, reporting requirements, and exclusion periods.
  8. What does the health unit mean when they say I need to isolate a sick child? 
    • When a child develops symptoms of illness at the centre, their guardian must be called to pick them up. To reduce exposing other staff and children to illness, the child with symptoms (or staff if they cannot leave on their own) should be isolated. Ideally, the child should be isolated in a different room than the classroom and with a staff member who is using appropriate personal protective equipment until the guardian arrives. SMDHU acknowledges that ratios must be maintained. Therefore, if there is not a staff available to sit with the child in a separate room, the ill child may stay in the classroom but remain seated away from other children. Cleaning and disinfection will need to occur after the ill child or staff leaves the centre and would include environmental surfaces and any toys/equipment handled while symptomatic. 
  9. How long does a child/staff need to be excluded after being sick?
    • The length of exclusion depends on the type of illness. Review the Common Childhood Illness Brochure for exclusions for specific illnesses. If the illness is not in the illness brochure, call 705-721-7520 ext. 5744.
  10. What do you mean by "baseline"?
    • It is expected that children get sick occasionally as their immune system develops. As well, children are in many different environments than just child care where they can contract an illness. Therefore, it is expected for their to be some level of illness at the centre. This is your baseline - a level of illness that is considered "normal".  Baselines can change over the years, for example, the level of illness you expected before the COVID pandemic may look very different than the level of illness you would expect to see today. If you are unsure what your baseline is, the general rule of thumb is 2 or 3 ill children and/or staff per classroom. As you become more familiar with typical illness rates in your centre, you can adjust this number. 
  11. What is the purpose of a line list? 
    • Line lists are excellent tools to help track illness at the centre. Staff will be required to complete and submit daily line lists during outbreaks, but staff can also use them to help track illness at the centre during non-outbreak periods.  Line lists provide a summary of illnesses occurring at the centre and allow the staff to identify trends.
    • Watch this video to learn more about how to fill out a line list. 
  12. Do I always have to clean before using a disinfectant? 
    • Yes. Toys and surfaces must always be cleaned before they can be disinfected. Cleaning with soap, water and scrubbing will remove dirt on the toy/surface. The cleaning step is still required even if the surface appears visibly clean. This enables the disinfectant to be used more effectively. 

 

 

 

 

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